"And here I thought you had forgotten me." Eiran stepped out from behind his parents, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Zayden turned, his sharp gaze sweeping over the young boy, one eyebrow lifting slightly.

"I hear you have been skipping meals. Is that true?"

Eiran’s smile faltered. He lowered his head as if guilty.

"I... I just haven’t had much of an appetite lately."

"What?!" Ren gasped immediately, worry filling his voice. "You can’t do that. You need to take care of yourself."

"I-I know," Eiran replied, forcing a faint smile. "I came for breakfast."

"Good," Zayden said, his expression softening. He gently patted the boy’s back, nudging him forward. "Go on and eat something."

Eiran nodded and dashed off toward the dining hall.

Soon, it was just the two of them again.

Outside, snowflakes floated in the air like dust. From the large window panes, servants were visible, busy cleaning up last night’s snowstorm.

Zayden stepped in behind Ren, wrapping his arms around the omega’s waist and pulling him close. Their warmth seeped through layers of fabric, their breaths growing heavier as their bodies pressed together.

"W-What are you doing?" Ren stammered, flustered. He wasn’t used to this—not out in the open, without closed doors or walls.

"You smell like him," Zayden murmured, burying his face against Ren’s neck, nuzzling his nape. Slowly, he began releasing a little of his pheromones, showering the omega with them.

Ren let out a soft sound, chills running down his spine.

"M-My Lord... what are you talking about?" he asked, confused. The scent set his body on fire, the touch at his nape making it harder not to react.

"Yusha’s pheromones," Zayden growled quietly. "They are clinging to you. And I don’t like it. Not one bit."

Ren chuckled softly.

"Are you jealous now?"

Zayden shook his head far too quickly.

"Of course not."

"You are," Ren countered.

Zayden’s arms tightened around him—just a fraction. Not enough to hurt. But enough to feel each other’s warmth.

Ren felt it instantly, his breath catching in his throat for a moment.

"My Lord," he murmured, placing his hands over the alpha’s forearms, trying to steady him. "There is no need to overthink this."

"I am not," Zayden replied immediately. His voice was calm—too calm. That was when he appeared the most dangerous. "Your scent changed when he held you."

Ren forced out a soft laugh.

"It’s normal," he chuckled. "He needed comfort after everything he had been through. That’s all."

"And why did you have to give it?" Zayden said, lowering his head until his lips brushed Ren’s ear. "Which makes him my concern." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Ren turned, still in the alpha’s arms, forcing himself to meet Zayden’s gaze.

"Nothing can happen between us anyway," he said quietly. "We are both omegas." He grinned brightly as if that alone was enough reason for Zayden to stop caring at all.

For a moment, Zayden simply stared at him—then he laughed.

The sound was low—almost amused.

"Is that really what you think?" he asked.

Ren frowned.

"Is it not obvious?"

"No," Zayden said firmly. "It is not. Not in the least."

He lifted a hand, brushing his thumb along Ren’s cheek possessively, yet his touch remained gentle.

"There are omega–omega couples. Alpha–alpha ones too. Betas are rare in Revhara, but bonds between alphas and betas, and omegas and betas, exist. Nature isn’t as rigid as people pretend. They say love doesn’t need gender—I mean second gender."

Ren blinked, his eyes widening. He had never heard of such a thing. In Hianshu, such love tales were called betrayal of the Gods, and those people were burned to death, as one used to do to dragons in the past.

"What matters," Zayden continued, his gaze darkening, "is choice. Desire. Commitment."

He leaned in, stopping just short of Ren’s lips.

"And don’t mistake my calm for weakness," he murmured. "You are standing in my arms for a reason. I will never let you betray me."

Ren sighed.

"...You are impossible," he whispered, shaking his head.

This was utter nonsense. It seemed Zayden had lost his mind.

The alpha smiled—slow, certain.

"And you love me regardless."

"I never said that. And why would I even betray you?" Ren asked, gently but firmly pushing him away.

Zayden didn’t move when Ren pushed him away. He shrugged.

"Sometimes human hearts change. And we, demons, can only be left wondering what happened. We never go back on our words, be it when it comes to love or... hate," he said, letting the distance between them grow.

For a moment, the hallway felt too quiet—too warm.

Ren drew in a slow breath, then another. His chest felt tight, skin prickling beneath his clothes. He frowned faintly, pressing a hand to his collarbone as if trying to ground himself.

"...Why is it suddenly so hot?" he muttered, flapping his hand flatly to create some sort of wind.

Zayden’s gaze sharpened at once. Not threatened, but focused.

"So... you feel it too," he said softly. It wasn’t a question.

Ren opened his mouth to deny it, but the words never came. His throat felt dry. His senses felt... dulled. Overstimulated. Perhaps due to Zayden’s pheromones. Maybe his heat wasn’t over like he thought.

"I-I am fine," Ren insisted, though his voice wavered. "It’s probably just stress."

Zayden stepped closer—not touching. Not yet.

"Ren," he murmured, "how was your last heat cycle?"

Ren froze, looking at him in a daze. He tried to think, but no answer came to his mind. Although the dates had been regular, the days his heat lasted kept constantly changing.

Silence hung between them for a moment too long.

"...I don’t remember," Ren said finally, shaking his head. "I thought it would be over earlier because we spent it together...."

"And yet," Zayden replied calmly, "your pheromones are already changing. Again."

Ren swallowed hard. He could feel it now—the faint warmth in his abdomen, the strange heaviness in his limbs as if they would give up at any moment.

He glanced around, his heart racing. He needed to return to a room before any servant walked in on him. He recalled clearly the law of Revhara: an omega in heat or an alpha in rut shouldn’t be outside their rooms.

Zayden exhaled slowly, as if deciding something.

"Oh—about that," he said. "Do you remember?"

Ren frowned, disoriented.

"Remember what?"